Nikon Time Line
1917 Merger of 3 optical companies to form Nikon
1932 "Nikkor" selected as name for lenses
1940-1945 Major producer of military-related optics (now, very rare and collectable)
1946 "Nikon" name chosen for cameras; production shifted to commercial products
1948 Nikon began manufacturing 35mm rangefinder bodies and lenses for them
1959 Nikon began manufacturing 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) bodies and lenses for them
Nikon Rangefinder cameras
1948-1949 Nikon 1 (extremely rare; often sell at auction for over US$25,000)
1950-1952 Nikon M
1951-1954 Nikon S
1954-1958 Nikon S2
1957-1965 Nikon SP
1958-1960 Nikon S3
1959-1960 Nikon S4
1960-1961 Nikon S3M
Nikon Single Lens Reflex Cameras
1959-1972 Nikon F body (an estimated 850,000 units manufactured - see specific "Nikon F" models, below)
1960-1961 Nikkorex 35
1962-1964 Nikkorex 35-2
1962-1965 Nikkorex F
1962-1966 Nikon F Photomic (non through-the-lens meter)
1963-1965 Nikkorex Zoom 35
1963-1968 Nikonos I Underwater camera
1964-1966 Nikon Auto 35 (Nikon's first "point-and-shoot" camera)
1965-1967 Nikkormat FT
1965-1971 Nikkormat FS (no meter, very rare)
1965-1966 Nikon F Photomic T
1967-1968 Nikon F Photomic TN
1967-1975 Nikkormat FTN (the most common Nikkormat)
1968-1972 Nikon F Photomic FTN
1968-1975 Nikonos II Underwater camera
1971-1980 Nikon F2
1971-1977 Nikon F2 Photomic
1972-1977 Nikkormat EL
1973-1976 Nikon F2 Photomic S
1975-1981 Nikonos III Underwater camera
1975-1977 Nikkormat FT2
1976-1977 Nikon F2 Photomic SB
1976-1980 Nikon F2T (Titanium)
1976-1980 Nikon F2H (Titanium - high speed)
1976-1976 Nikon F2 Titan (for NASA)
1976-1977 Nikkormat ELW
1977-1978 Nikkormat FT3 (automatic indexing - AI)
1977-1979 Nikon EL2 (automatic indexing - AI; this is actually a Nikkormat with a "Nikon" nameplate)
1977-1980 Nikon F2 Photomic A
1977-1980 Nikon F2 Photomic AS (automatic indexing - AI)
(Except for Nikonos, all cameras below are automatic indexing - AI)
1977-1982 Nikon FM
1978-1982 Nikon FE
1979-1984 Nikon EM
1980-1985 Nikonos IV-A Underwater camera
1980-1983 Nikon F3
1982-1984 Nikon FM2
1982-2000 Nikon F3HP
1982-2000 Nikon F3/T (titanium: black or natural - a slightly beige color called "champagne")
1982-1986 Nikon FG
1983-1988 Nikon F3AF (Nikon's first autofocus camera that has two AF lenses with motors inside them)
1983-1988 Nikon F3P (This is a limited edition camera with larger knobs for professional photoraphers)
1983-1987 Nikon FE2
1983-1987 Nikon FA
1984-present Nikonos V Underwater camera
1984-1986 Nikon FG-20
1985-1990 Nikon F301/N2000
1986-1990 Nikon F501/N2020 (autofocus)
1987-1989 Nikon F401/N4004 (autofocus)
1988-1991 Nikon F801/N8008 (autofocus)
1988-1999 Nikon F4, F4S, and F4E (autofocus)
1989-2000 Nikon FM2n (replaced in 2000 by the FM3A)
1989-1991 Nikon F401s/N4004s (autofocus)
1990-1998 Nikon F601M/N6006 (autofocus)
1990-1994 Nikon F601/N6000
1991-1994 Nikon F401x/N5005 (autofocus)
1991-1994 Nikon F801x/N8008s (autofocus)
1992-1994 Nikon F90/N90 (autofocus)
1994-2000 Nikon FM2/T (titanium, autofocus)
1994-1998 Nikon F50/N50 (autofocus)
1994-1999 Nikon F70/N70 (autofocus, replaced in 1999 by the F80/N80)
1994-1999 Nikon F90x/N90s (autofocus)
1998-1999 Nikon F60/N60 (autofocus, replaced in 1999 by the F65/N65)
1996-2003 Nikon F5 (autofocus)
1998-2002 Nikon F100 (autofocus - lightweight magnesium body)
1999-2002 Nikon N65 (autofocus)
1999-2002 Nikon F80/N80 (autofocus)
1999-2001 Nikon D1 (digital, 2.7 megapixels, autofocus)
2001-2006 Nikon D1X (digital, 5.2 megapixels, autofocus)
2001-2006 Nikon D1H (digital, 2.7 megapixels, autofocus)